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AS A LIFE COACH, I’VE REALIZED MOST NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS USUALLY DON’T WORK.

Ugh, I know. I hate that our goals in January start off with such intense passion and then wane off by mid February. We have such high hopes, but then we have trouble sticking to them. I am sure a lot of you are already feeling the pain of keeping up your New Year’s Resolutions and we aren’t even too far into January!

The struggle is definitely real. We need something to keep us accountable all year long. Something that is inspiring, motivating, and encourages us to continue on even when we feel down in the dumps.

That’s why I like to make visionboards.

In fact, I believe in visionboards so much, that I threw a party with my friends to make them together. My visionboard party was a major success, so I want to help you throw one, too!

THROWING A VISIONBOARD PARTY

Visionboard parties are a fun, fresh and positive way to welcome in the new year with your friends and family! They combine social energy, accountability, crafting, and goal setting all in one party. What could possibly be better than that? When I threw one, it drew a lot more interest than a typical party and people still talk about it to this day. I wish it was because I was such a spectacular host, but in reality, it’s because everyone got something deeply meaningful out of the night that could carry them through the entire year.
So first, what’s a visionboard?

Visionboards are a poster with visual cues and reminders for your goals in life. They are collage representations of the hopes and dreams we have for our life. They can be very busy with lots of pictures and visuals all over the place, or they can be spread out and organized. No visionboard will look the same. I like to have all of my clients make visionboards because they are a enjoyable and creative way to figure out who you are and what you want for your life. Lots of my girls tend to have a hard time describing who they are and what they want, which is normal! That’s what we are here for as coaches. But, making a visionboard is a great, relaxing way to identify what you value and desire.

Plus, you get to hang it up all year so you have a constant reminder of what you are chasing!

HOW TO PREP FOR A VISIONBOARD PARTY:

1. Gather materials: You will need magazines, poster board, glue and scissors. It’s important to note that the type of magazine you buy has a great impact on the kind of visionboard you can create. For example, magazines that are uplifting and inspiring will have much better visuals than magazines who simply focus on celebrity gossip.
2. For extra fun, allow your friends to bring friends. For a party like this one, “the more, the merrier” is totally true!
3. Create a playlist of music that makes you happy and inspired. You will all need to have your creative and “big picture” hats on, so music that evokes positivity is a big plus.
4. Snacks aren’t necessary but always appreciated, and fun drinks are a plus too – think sparkling wine or something equally special! It’s a great time to celebrate the wins you have yet to have.

HOW TO MAKE THE VISIONBOARDBOARD:

**Remember that most people are going to want a little guidance (even if they are familiar with the concept!) so share these tips with your guests.

During the process, my visionboard planning got a little messy, to be sure to have some time for cleaning up afterwards!

1. First rule: there is no *right* way to make a visionboard. Each visionboard will reflect the hopes, dreams, and personality of each individual, so carbon copies of the same visionboard is NOT the goal.
2. Some people choose to make certain areas of the board about certain things, like family, relationship, career, travel, self, religion, etc. This can help you recognize which areas need more attention in the coming year. You can also just flip through magazines and cut out whatever inspires you and fit on on your poster board wherever it fits – as I said, there’s no right or wrong!
3. Don’t limit yourself and tap into the dreaming you were able to do as a child. If you want to put a yacht on there, do it! Trip to Asia? Do it! There is no “silly” vision or grandiose dream. If you can envision it, then it belongs on the board.
4. Most people like to do a mix of pictures and words. Cutting out different letters from different magazines and stringing together a word that is inspiring is a great addition to your visionboard.
5. Don’t overthink and don’t stress. Your visionboard won’t look perfect and it is definitely not supposed to hang in a museum. There’s no judgment in visionboards! (Seriously – my husband put a bunch of steaks on his!)
6. Look at examples – sometimes seeing what other people have done is really helpful. You don’t need to mimic it, but you can get a good idea of the basics.
7. Once you’re done, walk around the table or area where you’ve been working and admire everyone’s board! Share your stories about your board and listen to others’ stories, too. It’s so fun to see the hopes and dreams of the people you love.

Lastly, hang your visionboard somewhere you can see often. This is what mine looked like:

It now hangs in my office so I can see it daily. I always have a reminder of what it is that I am working towards and my core desires in life. I love it. It’s also great to be able to monitor your progress and smile as you mentally cross things off on your visionboard! You’ll be surprised how quickly you will need a new visionboard because many of your goals have been accomplished and you have new ones to filter in. You never want a stale visionboard, so perhaps this visionboard party can become an annual tradition.
Good luck and happy vision boarding!